


After Hours Studying

by TheMagnumColt67



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bottom Dean Winchester, M/M, Professor x Student, Top Castiel (Supernatural), Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23520397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMagnumColt67/pseuds/TheMagnumColt67
Summary: Dean is a freshman student at Stanford University majoring in mechanical engineering. He has to take a history class for his general studies, but he's dreading the course. That is until he lays eyes on Dr. Castiel Novak, his new professor. A few months into the semester, romance blooms. The two must navigate through secrecy, classes, and colleagues, prodding parents, and nosy roommates and decide if what they’re risking is worth it.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter One

The college campus buzzed with incoming freshmen and seasoned seniors as Move-In Day started. Bags, books, parents and siblings flooded the freshman dorm. Dean set his duffle bag down at the plastic folding table and grabbed the last few pages of the freshman sign-in sheet. He checked his name off and grabbed his student ID from the helper with a quick smile. 

“Hi… Dean Winchester. Welcome to Stanford. Your room number is 1101, and if there’s anything I can do to help your move-in day go smoother, please let me know.” She looked him up and down and blushed. 

He grabbed his bag from the floor and headed towards the correct hallway. His mom and brother tagged along behind him carrying various bags and boxes that he brought from his home in Kansas. Dean was happy that his dad didn’t come with them today. Over his last year of high school, the two had clashed more and more about his choice of college. “It’s too far! I need you at the shop!” he’d say. If Dean hadn’t qualified for a scholarship, he would still be stuck in Kansas, living the exact same life as his dad did.

He opened his dorm room, flung his bag on the empty bed, and grabbed the bags from his mom. “Thanks for coming again.” 

She smiled and patted his back. “Dean, you don’t have to thank me, baby. I’m glad I can help you. I just wish your father would’ve come though.”

He rolled his eyes and snorted. “I don’t.” He sat the bags next to the bed as his younger brother brought in a few boxes. “Dad’s never been supportive of anything about this, I’d rather him just stay at home.” 

“Well you know Dad cares about you, Dean. He just doesn’t know how to show it.” Sam unpacked the top box, looking through his brother’s things.

Dean snatched the cassette tape collection from Sam with a grin. “It is what it is, Sammy. You’ll get to take over the after school shift at the shop.” 

Their mom reached in her purse for a tissue and dabbed her eyes. “I am just so proud of Dean. If you need anything, and I mean anything, Dean, you don’t hesitate to call us.” She pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back. “I wish we didn’t have to leave you so soon, but we have to get back to the airport to catch our flight home.” 

Dean hugged his mom back. “I know Mom. I will. Let me know when you get home, okay?”

She nodded and grabbed Sam’s shirt sleeve. As the two walked out, a young man slid in the door, a mischievous grin on his face. He extended his hand towards Dean. “Name’s Benny. I’m your new roommate.”

Dean shook his hand and smiled back. “Dean. Hope we have a good year.”

  
  
  


~~

His phone blared in his ear, letting Dean know it was time to get up. He fumbled for it, snoozing the alarm for a few minutes as he crawled out of bed. He looked at the printout of his schedule, groaning.  _ Some boring history class first thing in the morning? I’ll have to change that. _ Dean slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his boots, and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He’d give the class one or two sessions before he changed his schedule, but history was never his favorite subject. It seemed like just a bunch of jumbled dates and events that happened too long ago. 

He walked across campus, taking in the fresh air. Dean didn’t have any particular reason for choosing Stanford; he just wanted to be away from his dad. He never felt like he could be himself around his family, except for Sam. He and his little brother had always been close. Only Sam knew the real Dean, the one he kept buried and hidden from everyone else. He thought he could have a chance to peel away the layers of disguise and shame he had wrapped himself in for so long. As Dean approached the correct building, his insides twisted with anxiety.  _ First day jitters _ . He entered through the front doors, and as he did, he collided with a young woman. She dropped the books and papers she had, and Dean hurriedly picked them up.

“I’m so sorry. I was just lost in thought, and I didn’t see you when I came in.” He handed them back to her as they stood up.

She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear with a smile. “Oh it’s alright. I’m Lisa by the way.” 

He returned the smile, “Dean. It’s nice to meet a friendly face.”

“Yeah, I remember my freshman year. It’s always overwhelming when you’re new. Where are you heading?” She grabbed his schedule from him with a playful smirk. “Oh lucky. Dr. Novak is such an entertaining professor from what I’ve heard. I’ve never been able to take him, but all of my friends who’ve had him said he’s amazing.”

“That’s good, I guess. I don’t really care for history, but at least the teacher will be tolerable.” He handed the last piece of paper to her, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well I better get going, don’t want to be late on the first day.” He started walking towards his lecture hall.

She grabbed his sleeve and scribbled her number on his hand. “Text me if you need a study buddy, Dean.” She winked with a flirtatious grin, then headed back to the main door. 

Dean chuckled to himself and shook his head.  _ You’re really cute, but you’re barking up the wrong tree. _ He opened the door to the classroom. For a 7:30 AM class, there were already quite a few students already seated and prepared for class. There was even a dark-haired student at the whiteboard scribbling something. He took a safe seat in the middle, sitting his backpack at his feet. The dark-haired student checked his watch then turned to face the class. Dean leaned forward, biting his bottom lip. He looked over the thin muscular shoulders underneath the fitted button-down, eyes eagerly devouring the slight curve of his hips, the way his slacks accented his butt. Dean shifted in his seat, hoping the student would sit near him, but not too close. 

The dark-haired student cleared his throat and clapped his hands together. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s 7:30, so let’s begin with introductions. I am your professor for the semester, Dr. Castiel Novak, you can call me Cas, Dr. Novak, whatever floats your boat.” He reached into a satchel on the desk at the front of the room. “This is Perspectives in History, and I know most if not all of you are simply here because you need the credit hours, but I don’t think your class is any less important than my history majors.” He had a stack of papers in his hands, and he started passing them around, walking between the desks. “What I’m handing out right now is our syllabus for the semester. If you check online, you’ll see I’ve posted a link to a PDF of the textbook, please don’t waste the money.” He stopped in front of Dean’s desk, a playful smirk on his full lips. “Introduce yourselves there please. If you have any questions or concerns about the upcoming term, feel free to email me or stop by my office.” He pressed the syllabus down onto Dean’s desk, continuing his way around the class.

Dean’s heart pounded in his chest when Dr. Novak stopped in front of his desk and shifted uneasily in his seat. He couldn’t believe his professor looked so young. He felt a hot blush creep across his face as Dr. Novak walked away from him. Why did he have to be so attractive? He wasn’t even out yet, and he already was smitten with his professor. As class started, Dean absentmindedly drew hearts over his syllabus, hardly paying attention to what Dr. Novak actually said. 

Towards the end of the hour, Dr. Novak pulled out a sheet of paper. “Asinine at this point, but a simple formality. I have to call roll.” He went through the names quickly. “Last one, is there a ‘Dean Winchester’ here?” No one answered immediately, but Cas had paid attention to who said here when. He looked toward the young man daydreaming in the middle row with a smile. “Winchester, Dean?”

Dean snapped to attention and choked out a quiet “here” before looking down sheepishly at his desk. 

“Thank you Mr. Winchester. Now everyone can go to their next class,” As most students packed their bags and shuffled to the door, Cas walked to the middle row and turned a chair around and sat across from Dean. “Feeling alright?”

Dean nodded, trying to hide his face as the embarrassed blush crept back onto his cheeks. “Yeah, just daydreaming. Not that you’re boring.”

Cas laughed quietly, “It’s alright, Mr. Winchester. I can spot a newbie. I know I said this in class, but if you need an ear to listen or just to vent about classes, don’t hesitate to stop by my office. It’s in the syllabus, but I’m on the third floor of this building with the other faculty.” He stood up and extended his left hand.

Dean examined it, a pout forming on his lips as the golden band shone brightly on his ring finger. He shook Cas’s hand anyway, “Thank you Dr. Novak.”

“Cas, please. Call me Cas.” He smiled, his blue eyes shining bright at the new student.


	2. Chapter Two

A few weeks had passed since the start of the semester, Cas sat at his desk grading a homework assignment late one evening when there was a soft knock on his office door. “Come in.” He smiled as Dean Winchester came and sat in front of him. They had been meeting a few times a week now; Cas wanted to offer the support and comfort as best he could as Dean adjusted to the new world of college.

Dean sat his bag next to his feet, smiling as he watched Cas tuck papers away in his desk. “I’m not bothering you, am I?”

Cas shook his head, “No, not at all, Dean. I always have time for my students. I’m actually glad you stopped by today. I wanted to discuss an opportunity that’s come up.” He slid a form across his desk to Dean. “I’ve been selected this year for a teacher’s assistant position, and you’ve really shown an interest in my class, so I wanted to offer the position to you first before the history majors beg me for it.”

Dean looked at the form on the desk, then back to Cas. “You’re serious? Even though I’m not a history major, you want me to be your TA?” Cas nodded. “Then yeah! I’d love to be your assistant!”

Cas grinned and signed the bottom of the form. “Just fill this out and take it to Student Accounts. I look forward to seeing more of you.” He blushed as he realized what he said.

Dean blushed too, turning his eyes down to the form. “Can I ask you something, Dr. Novak?”

“Cas, please.” He chuckled and folded his hands on top of his desk. “But of course you can ask me anything Dean.”

“You’re married, aren’t you?” He played with his fingers, avoiding Cas’s eyes.

Cas sat back for a minute and ran a hand through his hair. “Legally, yes I am.” He spun his chair to the side. He didn’t like talking about his marriage, but he wanted to be open with his students, especially with Dean. Something intrigued him about this small town kid from Kansas. “We don’t get along anymore. I’ve discovered and confronted some things about myself that just don’t work with her anymore.”

“Her?” Dean didn’t mean to sound disappointed, but he couldn’t hide it. His face turned bright red as he realized he might’ve outed himself.

Cas grinned as he watched the blush spread across his student’s face. “That’s part of why our marriage is failing.” He slid the golden band off his finger and sat it on his desk. “I find myself being attracted to… a different kind of person.” He leaned forward and motioned for Dean to do the same. He whispered, “And I sense that you are too.”

Dean shivered being so close to Cas, meeting his intense blue eyes. “Maybe I am.” He whispered back.

“I don’t want you to think that’s why I offered the position to you, I value you as a student.” Cas took his hand, tracing circles on the back of his hand. “Though I will say I’m quite pleased you’re the one who will be helping me.”

Dean’s skin felt like he was on fire as Cas touched him. His heart fluttered and met Cas’s eyes again. “This is wrong though… You’re still married, and I’m your student.”

Cas smiled and kissed his hand softly. “I’m not going to force you, Dean. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can stay professional.”

Dean shook his head, “I  _ want _ it though. I just… I haven’t really told anyone that I’m…” He looked away from Cas, biting his lip anxiously. 

“Gay?” Cas raised an eyebrow, “That’s alright Dean. No one has to know until you’re ready to tell them.”

Dean’s stomach flipped as Cas spoke. He wanted to feel comfortable in his own identity, but years of living with his dad had scared him into a mold he knew he didn’t fit. The only other person he had ever told was his brother, Sam, but that was only because Sam knew what their father was like. Sam understood him better than anyone else; it was only fair to share that part of himself with Sam. 

“You haven’t just stopped by my office twice a week since class started just because you’re worried about an assignment you aced.” Cas gently pressed his hand against Dean’s cheek, brushing his thumb over his cheekbone. “Dean, it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling.”

“Even so, you’re still married, Cas.” He leaned into Cas’s hand and put his own over it. “What about your wife?”

Cas stood from his desk and locked the door to his office. “We’re in the midst of a divorce, Dean. I’ve told her how I feel, what I need now.” He tucked his hands in his armpits and looked at the young man in front of him. “I’m not attracted to her anymore; I’m not even sure I was attracted to her in the beginning.”

Dean heard the click of the lock and closed his eyes. “I don’t want to cause you more trouble.”

Cas smiled and shook his head, “Dean, it’ll be my problem if it develops into one.” He squatted in front of him. “Have you ever been with a man?”

Dean blushed at the question and bit his lip. “No… I haven’t.” 

Cas smirked for a moment then leaned forward. “I know you checked out my ass on more than one occasion, Dean…” He whispered against his ear, “I know you’ve thought about it. I’ve seen you shift in your seat, trying to hide your erections.”

Dean shivered, he always did when Cas came close to him. He felt a mixture of desire and nervousness. His breath caught in his throat as Cas’s words echoed in his mind.  _ He knows, just indulge yourself Dean. Go for it. _ He pulled Cas’s face to his own, pressing their lips together in a rush. 

Cas opened his eyes in surprise, cupping Dean’s face as he melted into the kiss. When they pulled apart, Cas sat on the edge of his desk with a smirk. “Well  _ that _ was nice.” He chuckled. 

Dean glanced up at Cas with a pink blush. “I tried.” He grinned sheepishly as he picked up his bag. “I have to go before Student Accounts closes for the weekend, and my roommate wanted to go to some club tonight.” His heart raced in his chest as he stood from his seat. He pecked Cas’s lips once more and left the office in a hurry. Cas smiled as he watched Dean run down the hall from his office, but that smile quickly faded as he slid the gold band back onto his finger. He couldn’t wait for the weekend to be over.

Cas walked into the foyer of his row house in the quiet suburb he and Meg had moved into when they first got married. He tossed his keys onto the low table next to the door and slipped his loafers off. The house was quiet and still. Meg wasn’t home yet. His muscles relaxed, and he crept up the stairs into his office. On his desk, the divorce papers still sat unsigned. He ran a hand through his hair. She wanted to “work things out” even though there was nothing to fix. If he asked her to sign them when she got home, he knew it would only start a screaming match. He sat down with a sigh and booted his computer up to grade papers until Meg got home. 

Cas stretched with a yawn as he glanced to the clock on his desktop. 12:07 AM,  _ Where is she? _ He saved his work then jogged downstairs. He rounded the corner of the kitchen when the door to the garage swung open. Meg stumbled into the kitchen with her shoes in her hands. She giggled at Cas standing at the fridge. 

“Wh-what’re you doin up?” She hiccuped.

“Grading papers.” He wrinkled his nose as the stench of alcohol hit him. “Are you drunk?”

She dropped her shoes and threw her arms around his neck. She planted a kiss on his lips, the smell of alcohol grew stronger. “Just hada few at hap hour!” 

Cas wiped his mouth clean. “Come on. You need to go to bed. I don’t feel like dealing with this.” He started to carry her up the stairs.

She booped his nose with another giggle. “Oh Clarence! You always play hard ball.” She pouted as he reached the top stair. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Clarence?”

She waved a hand at him. “Stop pre-tending Clary. My huzban won’t be home for a while.” She grinned.

Cas frowned and stayed silent. He tucked Meg into their bed and left her alone. He set out a glass of water with a headache pill, next to it the divorce papers. He went into the guest room and tried to sleep. 

The next morning, the bedroom door burst open. Meg stood at the foot of the bed and flung the papers back at Cas. He jolted awake and blinked as he looked up at Meg. 

“I’ve told you I'm not signing these damn papers. You made a commitment to me, so you’re going to honor it.” She tossed the pen at his face. “Don’t keep on with this.”

Cas looked at the scattered papers as she stormed out of the room. He thought for a moment in bed. She wanted him to honor their marriage, but she was seeing someone named Clarence. He organized the papers again and sat them aside. Cas climbed out of bed and walked back to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. Meg sat at the dining table furiously typing on her phone. Cas saw the name at the top, “Clary <3” and he rolled his eyes. He leaned back against the kitchen counter. 

“Meg, let’s be serious for a moment, please?” He sat on the counter. “Who’s Clarence?”

Meg spun around in her seat, hiding her phone from him. “What are you talking about? I don’t know anyone named Clarence.”

Cas folded his hands together. “You and I both know that’s not true.” The coffee pot beeped as it finished brewing. “You have someone else, and I think I’m starting to, Meg. Why won’t you sign the papers, so we both can move on from this?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Because I started the affair before you even wanted to get a divorce. I’ll lose everything, Cas.”

He chuckled and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You think I’d just completely take everything from you? We don’t have to go to court. The house is paid for, but I’d still want it. You can take your car. I just want the chance to live the life I’ve been denying myself. Can you give me that?”

Meg turned as her phone rang again. She nodded and dug a pen out of her bag. “Where are the papers? Did you bring them down?”

He shook his head. “They’re upstairs. We can go to mediation to discuss who gets what Monday morning. My lawyer’s been working on it since I came to her about the divorce.” He got down from the counter and walked over to her. “We had a good run, Meg. It’s just time to move on.”

She took his hand and patted it. “I know you’re right, but I don’t want to say we failed.”

He laughed softly, “We didn’t fail, we outgrew each other.” He took his hand away. “I hope you’re happy with Clarence.”

Meg stood up and started to head upstairs. “I hope you find your happiness Castiel. I really do.”


End file.
